Vulnerability
by ArwenSolo
Summary: Han and Leia talk about a few things following his rescue on Tattooine. Inspired by the reunion of Jane Eyre and Rochester.


**This is my second fanfiction covering the reunion of Han and Leia in Return of the Jedi, which unfortunately was almost completely overlooked. If you have seen the 1983 version of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, you might see the likeness between the reunion of Eyre and Rochester and this Han and Leia scene. Please remember that reading without reviewing is a crime worthy of death. **

Leia sat down on the bed where Han lay sleeping. He looked thinner than she remembered but it was nothing that a few good meals couldn't fix. It had been so long since she had seen him, felt his teasing lips on hers and his strong embrace. The months of his absence had been full of worry and loneliness for Leia. Luke had been there for her but for the first time she was longing for the man she loved more deeply than even she herself realized. The guilt of attempting to hide her feelings until it was almost too late was beginning to lift off her shoulders, now that Han was alive and safe.

_I love you._

_I know._

Of course he knew. Perhaps he'd always known. Now all she wanted was to be by his side for the the rest of her life. She was unwilling to broach the subject of his leaving or staying just yet, but she knew it would come.

Leia had replaced the hated slave outfit with a comfortable pair of pants and an old shirt, wishing she could forget the whole ordeal in Jabba's palace. She pulled the sheets up around her body and lay down beside Han, resting her head on his shoulder. Her hand found its way underneath his shirt and she slid her arm upwards, resting her fingers on his chest. His strong, steady heartbeat calmed her and she closed her eyes as sleep began to overtake her. Han stirred, and she could almost feel the ache in his muscles as she felt them tense briefly. "Playing nurse?" he asked with a smirk, running his thumb over her hair.

"No," Leia said softly. "It's just been a long time since I've touched you. I - I missed you."

"I know."

"How are you feeling?" she asked before an awkward silence began to develop.

"I'm fine," he replied unconvincingly, and she sat up on one elbow. "Is something wrong?"

"No," he reaffirmed, a hint of tension in his voice.

"Han, if there's anything - "

"I told you I'm fine!" he snapped and she stared at him in shock. "Well if you're so fine, then you don't need me," she said angrily, pulling away from him. Despite her indignation she felt ashamed. Han had just spent the last six months frozen in a slab of carbon and she couldn't even spare him some patience while he recovered. How could so little have changed? After all this time they still couldn't hold a conversation without losing their tempers. She stared at the door, debating whether or not she should leave him in peace for a while.

"I'm sorry, Leia," he said apologetically. "I didn't mean to upset you."

She returned to the bed and put a hand on his shoulder, massaging it soothingly with her fingers."Please tell me - tell me anything."

"I still can't see you," he said quietly.

Leia forced a smile anyway. "I haven't changed much. I found some fatigue meds in your refresher - hold on, I'll get you some." She moved away from the bed but he gripped her arm with one hand. "No, stay here."

"I'll only be gone a minute, Han."

"I don't care about the meds. But don't go."

She smiled faintly, kissed his forehead and lay down again.

"You must think I'm a complete failure," he said after a moment.

Leia frowned. "Why would I think that?"

"I couldn't protect you," he continued bitterly. "I couldn't even look after myself. And now I'm blind and stuck in this damned bed."

Leia's eyes stung with tears. "Han, no! It wasn't your fault. None of us saw it coming."

"You did."

"That was different. I'd never met Lando before so I had no reason to trust him. Han, you couldn't be further from a failure. Besides, you've done so much for the Rebellion..."

Han placed a finger over her lips. "This is about us, not the Rebellion."

He was right, Leia realized. Politics and military matters had always come first in her life. The moment she decided to leave and search for Han was liberating, as if she had begun to break the chains that had bound her for as long as she could remember. _Yes, you are right. It's time to put the people I care about first._

His hazel eyes studied her dark ones, and for a fleeting moment Leia wondered if he had suddenly recovered his sight. "You didn't have to come after me, you know," he said finally.

In the past she'd heard people say that vulnerability in a man was weakness, but to Leia it made Han a better man. He was reckless yet protective, strong yet caring and it touched her to know that he was letting her in to see his insecurities. She felt Han's arms wrap around her body and relaxed in his embrace. "I don't regret any of it, and I'd do it again for you."

"I love you," he said honestly. He lifted her chin with one finger and caught her lips in a deep kiss. After a few moments Leia broke the kiss. "And I love you." The words tasted sweet on her tongue and she savoured them almost reverently. She ran a hand over his unshaved jaw. "Don't ever leave me again, Han."

Han fiddled with a strand of her dark hair. "Well actually, I was thinking about staying on, if you're interested." He grinned.

Leia smiled. "Come to think of it, that does sound good."

"Thought you might like the idea." He placed a warm hand on the back of her neck. "But I'm doing it for you, not the Rebellion or anybody else. Just you."

"I was afraid that you were still going to leave," she admitted.

"I'll always be here, princess."

Leia smiled at the familiar nickname and kissed him again. She could have gone on kissing him all night long had it not been for the fact that she couldn't stop smiling. "Now, now, I'm still regaining my strength, you know," Han reminded her with a crooked grin. "Let's not get carried away."

"I never thought I'd hear you say that."

"Learn something new every day. Now let's get some sleep, sweetheart."

"Sounds good to me." She felt for his hand and he laced his fingers through hers, squeezing them as if he would never let go. "I love you," he said again.

"We were meant for each other all along, weren't we?"

"I'm sure of it."

**Reviews greatly appreciated!**


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